There is no better guarantee for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia than Ukraine's accession to the EU, stated Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, reacting to Hungary unblocking the path to the official opening of accession negotiations following an agreement between Budapest and Kyiv regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority, UNN reports.
Thanks to the historic choice made by the Hungarian people in April, Ukraine and Hungary now have the opportunity to open a new chapter in bilateral relations — based on good neighborliness, mutual respect, and a shared European future. There is no better guarantee for the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia than Ukraine's accession to the European Union. This serves the national interests of both our countries and peoples, strengthens Europe, and brings peace closer. Let's move forward together,
This was his response to a statement by his Hungarian counterpart.
"Over the past few weeks, we have reached an agreement with Ukraine regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia, which was also included in the EU Action Plan on minorities in Ukraine. Yesterday evening, all EU member states, including Hungary, agreed to open the first cluster of accession negotiations with both Ukraine and Moldova. This creates an opportunity for a reset and to build our bilateral relations on a new foundation," indicated Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán on X.
The day before, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that the "historic agreement between Hungary and Ukraine regarding the educational, cultural, linguistic, and political rights of the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia is now formalized."
"In an official diplomatic note, the Ukrainian side committed to fulfilling all provisions of the agreement and also included them in the EU Action Plan on minorities. In just a few weeks, we managed to solve a problem that the Orbán government could not resolve for ten years," Magyar wrote on social media.
Hungary unblocks Ukraine's EU accession talks following new agreement13.06.26, 13:48
The European Union is expected to begin official accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on Monday, June 15, following the lifting of the blockade by Hungary.
"The first cluster of accession negotiations — the EU has approved a positive decision. Unanimously and in accordance with procedures. Next — decisions on subsequent clusters and their closure. And then — accession to the EU itself. On Monday, an intergovernmental conference will take place where this decision will be solemnly proclaimed. EU accession is becoming increasingly realistic!" wrote Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka on social media.
Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, announced on Friday that member states had agreed on a common position regarding the first stage of negotiations, thereby completing the necessary preparations.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked his country's EU partners on social media. "Ukraine is doing what is necessary, and it is important that the EU also keeps its word," he wrote.
The President of Ukraine stated that the start of negotiations provides "significant political and moral support to our state and our people."
President of Moldova Maia Sandu also welcomed the decision in a post on X, writing: "We have done the work, and we will continue to implement reforms."
The EU officially launched accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in June 2024, but the start of the first stage of negotiations with Ukraine was blocked by a Hungarian veto. Only after the electoral defeat of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April, as dpa notes, did the process begin to move forward again.
The new Prime Minister of Hungary, Péter Magyar, announced last week that an agreement had been reached with Ukraine to strengthen the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Magyar made such an agreement a condition for consenting to the start of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations.